Actuating mechanism for inflating devices



Oct. 31, 1950 u, c, WALK 2,527,605

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR INFLATING DEVICES Filed NOV. 14, 1945 INVENTOR UDELL C. WLK

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICEI ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR INFLATING DEVICES Udell C. Walk, United States Navy, Carmel, Calif.

Application November 14, 1945, Serial No. 628,632

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an actuating mechanism for inflating devices and more particularly to such a mechanism for life belt and like infiators.

Life preservers, such as belts, vests andsimilar devices of inflatable type, that are now available require a manual operation for inflation. No arrangement has heretofore been provided, to my knowledge, for automatically inflating life preservers in emergency situations in which the wearer has been incapacitated.

For example, it hasv been-the experience of personnel engaged in overwater operations to be rendered unconscious or otherwise incapacitated from a severe crash landing or, in the case of military and naval personnel, as the result of enemy action. This hazard is particularly present in amphibious military operations.

Release mechanisms for life preserver inflators have been designed tooperate'in either fresh or salt water. At the present time, however, such mechanisms are usually affected in a relatively short time by humidity, fog and rain.

Objects of this invention are, therefore, to provide a life preserver inflator actuating mechanism that is not subject to premature operation from humidity, fog and rain; to provide for attaching devicesembodying the present invention to existing life belts and preserverswithout requiring changes therein; to provide for making existing life preservers fully automatic; to provide for varying the time of actuation of such mechanisms; to allow for manual operation of conventional actuating mechanisms in existing inflators; to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in life belt inflators; and to provide for carrying out the foregoing objects in a facile, economical and efficient manner.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view showing my improved infiator attachment mounted on a con ventional life preserver inflator.

Fig, 2 is an end elevational view of my improved attachment per se.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of my improved attachment at right angles to the showing thereof in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the several elements of my improved attachment in disassembled relation.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I, Fig. 4, designates a collar of copper or other electrolytically reactive metal, the collar having a central aperture 2 adapting the same to be mounted on a staging 3, Fig. 1, of an inflator 4. A lever arm 5 is pivotally mounted on the inflator and is provided with a pin (not shown) to puncture a carbon-dioxide or like gas containing cartridge, in the infiator chamber as and when the lever is pivoted outwardly and to the right, Fig. l. The central aperture 2 of the collar is provided with an off-set slot 6 for adapting the collar to pass a safety wire eyelet I on the inflator staging.

One portion of the collar is provided with separable adjusting wings 8 that project laterally from the collar and are provided with transversely arranged aligned threaded apertures for receiving an adjusting screw 9. It is apparent that the adjusting screw may be loosened to mount the collar on the inflator staging and subsequently tightened, to clamp the same thereto.

Another portion of the collar is preferably provided with laterally projecting spaced bosses I0 and I I, the ends of which are preferably provided with transversely aligned threaded apertures I2v to receive adjustable bridge supporting adjusting screws l3 and I4,

A bridge I5 consisting of a metal dissimilar to the collar I and preferably formed of magnesium wire extends through longitudinal bores I6 in the screws I3 and I4 to bridge the space between the bosses I0 and II.

I! and I8 designate set screws engageable irf threaded apertures I9 and 2|] in the outer ends of the bridge bosses to fix the screws, and con-j sequently the bridge, in adjusted position relative to the collar I. I

If desired a safety lock pin 2| may be arranged between the bosses I 0 and II by passing the: same through transversely aligned apertures 22 and 23 in the bosses that are arranged between the bridge and the collar proper.

The collar is also provided with apertured, preferably diametrically apposed lugs 24 and 25: on its periphery, the apertures of which are adapted to seat the ends of arms 26 and 21 of springs 28 and 29. The springs are each prefer-1 ably coiled as at 30 and 3I intermediately of their ends. The ends of the springs opposite the arms 26 and 21 terminate in arms 32 and 33 that are opposed to the arms 26 and 21. 34 designates a tubular cap that receives and connects together the arms 32 and 33 of the springs.

I The coils 30 and 3| of the springs are so turne as to adapt them to receive bushings 35 and 36 provided with internal passagesthat form bear-f ing seats for the trunnions forming ends 31 and 38 of av yoke 39, the curved intermediate portion of which adapts the attachment for mounting on the inflator without disassembling the same. The inner ends ofthe bushings are provided with transverse ways 40 and 4| to seat portions of the yoke, Fig. 3, and deter unintended turning of the yoke in the bushings.

Assembly and operation The assembly and operation of an inflator attachment constructed as described is as follows:

The trunnions 31 and 38 are inserted in the central openings of the bushings 35 and 36 which latter are inserted in the coils 30 and 3| respectively of the springs 28 and 29. The cap 34 is then arranged over the ends of the arms 32 and 33 to hold them together. The ends of the arms 26 and 21 are then mounted in the apertures of the collarg lugs 24 and 25, after which the cap 34 is manipulated to fold the arms 32 and 33 against tension of the spring coils into the collar recess between the bosses l and H. The safety key or lock pin 2| is then inserted in the apertures 22 and 23 to hold the spring in its thus cocked condition.

The bridge adjusting screws [3 and M are then mounted in the threaded apertures provided therefor in the collar bosses It] and H and the bridge I is inserted through the bridge screw bores 6 to bridge the collar bosses. The adjusting screws l3 and I4 may be adjusted laterally to vary the length of the magnesium wire bridge and thus adjust it as to strength and rigidity to counteract the strength of the spring for predetermined periods of time when the attachment is subjected. to sea water. When the bridge has been so adjusted, the set screws l! and I8 may be turned down to hold the adjusting-screws l3 and M in desired position.

The attachment as a unit, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is then mounted on the staging 3 of an inflator 4, by pivoting the lever 5 to the right (before the infiator shell has been provided with 'a gas cartridge) and sleeving the collar over the lever 5 and staging 3. The offset slot 6 passes thewiring eyelet l on the inflator and the collar is then rotated to align the cap 36 within the collar boss recess. The clamping screw 9 is then turned down to hold the collar and attachment in set on the inflator. The lever is then pivoted back tothe left, Fig. 1, over the bridge and is then in cocked condition.

Due to the shape of the yoke 38 that interconnects the bushings and spring coil assembly, the attachment may be mounted on existing inflators of the type shown in Fig. 1 around the end of the lever 5 without the necessity of disassembling the attachment.

Assuming the attachment to be assembled on an inflator in the manner described and the inflator to be applied to a life preserver the wearer of such a preserver is protected if thrown into the sea'even though he may be incapacitated by shock, injury or the like in the following manner: The safety key 2| having been removed when the life preserver is put on, and the copper collar and magnesium wire bridge being of dissimilar elements, exposure thereof to sea water sets up a galvanic action that causes relatively rapid corrosion of the magnesium wire depending upon its rigidity and strength as determined by the bridge adjusting screws 13 and M. Upon deterioration of the magnesium wire bridge, its ability to withstand the pressure of the cooking spring;

is reduced and the spring automatically fractures the wire. The stored spring tension forces the arms 32 and 33 upwardly and outwardly relative to Fig. 1 against the lever 5 of the infiator 4. The lever of the inflator is provided with a puncturing device for a gas cartridge in the inflator chamber that allows escape of carbon dioxide or like gases to effect inflation of a life preserver to which it is attached.

It is thus apparent that without any conscious effort on the part of the wearer, automatic inflation of a life preserver occurs when the attachment so described is subjected to sea water.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that the device is susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example in some instances, it may be desirable to omit the bridge adjusting screws and design the bridge to react with the collar to fracture at predetermined set time periods after exposure to sea water. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited by the disclosures set forth, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Iclaim: 1. In a device of the character described, a

copper or other suitable metallic collar having a central aperture to mount the same on a life preserver inflator staging, the collar having a slot to pass an inflator wiring eyelet on said staging, separably adjustable clamping wings on the collar, means for adjusting said clamping wings, spaced bosses on said collar, a magnesium wire bridge between said bosses, means for adjusting the bridge to vary the space between said bosses, and the strength of the bridge, means for fixing said adjusting means in position, a safety key removably mounted between said bridge and collar, opposed apertured lugs on said collar, springs having arms mounted in the apertures of said lugs, said springs being coiled intermediately of their ends and having arms extending oppositely to said first named arms, means inter-connecting said last named arms engageable between said collar bosses and within the collar and bridge, bushings mounted in the coils of said springs having transverse slots and a yoke having trunnion ends mounted in said bushings and the slots thereof to prevent unintended turning of the yoke and having a curved intermediate portion to fit around a lever on the infiator whereby the device may be mounted on an inflator without disassembling the same.

2. In a device of the character described, a metallic collar having a central aperture to mount the same on a life preserver infiator staging, separably adjustable clamping wings on the collar, means for adjusting said clamping wings, spaced bosses on said collar, a bridge between said bosses of a metal dissimilar to said collar, opposed apertured lugs on said collar, springs having arms mounted in the apertures of said lugs, said springs being coiled intermediately of their ends and having arms extending oppositely to said first named arms, means inter-connecting said last named arms engageable between said collar bosses and between the collar and bridge, bushings mounted in the coils of said springs, and a yoke having ends mounted in said coil bushings to int rtwined h in embly.

3. In a device of the character described, a me REFERENCES CITED tallic collar, spaced bosses on said collar, a variable bridge between said bosses of a metal dissimilar to said collar, and springs having arms The following references are of record in the I file of this patent:

mounted in said collar, said springs having inter- UNITED STATES P TENTS 7' connected arms extending oppositely to said first Number Name Date named rms ngageable between the collar and 1,329,990 Muller 3, 192 bridge. 1,916,351 Whitman July 4, 1933 UDELL C. WALK. 

